Services · Crops and agroecosystems
Agricultural consultancy
For decades agriculture has been characterised by a constant, direct and profound modification of the environment in which plants grow. That approach — the one that tends to *force* the system — has failed. What is needed today is an agronomy that observes before prescribing, and that manages the cultivated field for what it actually is: an agroecosystem, not a machine.
If you have a farm — vineyard, olive grove, orchard, open-field or protected vegetable crops — and are looking for consultancy that starts from observation rather than a price list, write to me.
A modern consultant
Engaging with a natural system requires studying and recognising the phenomena that unfold in the cultivated field, and then managing them well. Not overwriting them. I believe a good agronomist is first of all an observer: they observe the natural disposition of an environment, encourage and imitate its equilibria, and spread quality agriculture — efficient, sustainable, landscape-generating.
This is an approach now shared even in the most intensive agricultural contexts, and no longer the exclusive preserve of organic farming or particularly sensibility-driven entrepreneurs. Green manures in protected crops, releases of antagonist insects and beneficial fungi against pests and disease, molecules that induce the plant’s natural defences: these are tools of the up-to-date agronomist, and often the most economically viable options too. Choices about the timing and method of a “classical” pesticide intervention — whether natural or synthetic — are never made without monitoring and knowledge of the biological cycle of both pathogen and host. This is the agronomy I practise.
This is not “letting nature take its course”
The “naturalistic” approach, in some farms, translates into letting nature take its course — a philosophy that would be more honestly described as abandonment. It leads to problems that affect not only quantity: they often compromise quality too. The same happens in the cellar, when enzymes and microorganisms are left to act without control and end up reducing, oxidising or acetifying a wine in the name of a supposed “natural evolution.”
My view is simple: the agroecosystem is not a natural equilibrium, as a virgin forest would be. It is a system in which human intervention has profoundly altered its essence. It cannot be treated as such. The resilience of the system will not produce the grape or the vegetable being sought.
This is why managing an organic, biodynamic or “natural” farm requires even greater professionalism than managing a conventional one: the task is to recreate, within the farm, sub-systems that resemble natural ones. Managing the soil to encourage stable structure and the development of beneficial microfauna and microflora — softness, stability, water availability and mineral uptake all benefit. Encouraging the development of symbiotic bacteria and fungi on roots, which extend the explored volume, improve water and nutrient uptake and strengthen plant defences. On the above-ground part: releasing beneficial insects and microorganisms and creating microhabitats that support their development, shifting the equilibrium against pests and pathogens; using molecules that prompt the plant to raise its natural defences; knowing and monitoring the biological cycles of “enemies” and their antagonists, so as to decide if, how and when to intervene most effectively.
How I work with a farm
Every consultancy starts with a site visit. No prescriptions at sight, no quotes before seeing soil, exposure, plant spacing, varieties, management history, crop protection records. Only after the site visit do I set out an initial technical picture in writing, and that picture is the foundation of everything that follows.
From there I can accompany the farm at one or more levels: annual planning of cultural operations (pruning, soil management, fertilisation, irrigation, fertigation, crop protection); technical management in-season, with periodic monitoring visits and precise intervention guidelines (the Studio’s standard format: product · dose · method · timing); Farm Development Plans (PSA), applications for RDP and CSR grant schemes — only when the project structure is genuinely consistent with the farm’s actual situation; consultancy for replanting or reconversion (variety selection, spacing, training form, soil management systems); support for certification (organic, integrated) and in-house training of farm workers.
What the client receives
Depending on the assignment: an initial site visit report with the farm’s technical picture; an annual intervention plan with an operations calendar; periodic intervention guidelines (product, dose, method, timing, with commercial equivalents where appropriate); cartographic outputs in QGIS/CAD when the case requires; technical reports for grant applications (PSA, CSR) built on the farm’s actual structure, not a copied template.
Frequently asked questions
How much does agronomic consultancy for a farm cost?
It depends on the type of support: a one-off consultation, a seasonal management contract with periodic visits, or a complete annual plan are different things. I do not give a price at sight — everything starts from a site visit, then a quote built on the farm’s actual situation.
Do you work with vineyards, olive groves, orchards, and vegetable crops?
All of them: vineyards, olive groves, orchards, open-field and protected horticulture. The approach does not change — observe the system and manage it, rather than forcing it.
Do you help with grants (RDP/CSR) and Farm Development Plans?
Yes, but only when the project is genuinely consistent with the farm’s actual situation. No “copy-paste” applications with a low chance of holding up.
Do you only work with organic farms?
No. The observation-based approach applies to conventional, integrated and organic production alike — in fact, managing an organic or “natural” farm well requires even greater professionalism.